Do you have a "move over" law in your state?

[GracieNutHugger]

You're assuming I'm incapable of reacting, which is a bad assumption on your part.

The issue here is creating an environment which facilitates a higher risk of an accident occurring due to a law which requires split-second reactions from motorists traveling at a high rate of speed, with little to no warning.

During high concentrations of traffic traveling at reasonable speeds (60 MPH), it's not a stretch to envision one or two vehicles following a large semi not seeing a LEO on the side of the road until they are only a few hundred feet away due to line of sight being obstructed by the truck. In order to comply, the drivers must merge rapidly which would require them to decelerate and steer into the next lane, all before they've reached the patrol car.

Now factor in the number of vehicles this solitary stop is affecting, then multiply that by the number of stops in a day and maybe you can see why this short-sighted law is a problem. Typical liberal knee-jerk reactionary laws where "something must be done", despite the repercussions.

You do realize that if one cannot move over safely one can pass an emergency vehicle parked alongside the road (yes, even on multi-lane roads). They are simply required to slow down and move over as far to the left in their lane as they can to give emergency personnel room to do their jobs.

 

[jackietreehorn8]

Well, can you explain how you disagree with me?

Speeding, jaywalking, lane dividers, making way for ambulances and fire trucks...those rules all serve a purpose, and if everyone ignored them like you want to, for your own convenience, can you see how counter productive that would be?

I think he's talking about the enforcement of certain laws that are neither here nor there in terms of the greater good of society. Victimless crimes, like 12 mph over the speed limit when you're in a car designed to drive 50 mph over the speed limit. Cell phone tickets being written to people stopped at stop lights that take a look at their phone. Things like that.

It's not about ignoring the laws, it's about following, and enforcing, the spirit of the law. Jaywalking is a law that has a reasonable application and should be enforced in certain places...but there are other places where crossing a street where there isn't an intersection puts neither you nor any driver at any risk. Yet the police sometimes don't delineate between those two circumstances and just write ticket like crazy.

You can't deny that a lot of law enforcement these days is pure revenue generation. Traps being set for normal commuters that are completely minding their own business and driving safely...but breaking the letter of some silly law. Boom, $290 ticket.

 

[Josh]

When was the last time you've taken a peek at current laws? The majority of them are there to create revenue and protect business. They have little to do with keeping people safe.

That's ridiculous. Hundreds of emergency and construction workers are injured or killed every year, all needlessly. This law is highly necessary to protect lives, and setting 'traps' is an excellent way to educate and convey the seriousness and importance of the law.

 

[Archie Goodwin]

that same statement can and has been made about Lawyers as a whole and i think you can agree that that isnt the case correct?

I hate lawyers, as a profession. I work with and for lawyers whom I like, as people. And they may (or may not) be good at their jobs. But I hate lawyers - I think they are behind most of what's wrong with America. Seriously.

in my personal experience after being a state certified officer for 10 years

Ah.

the vast majority of people who have issue with Law enforcement are those who have no qualms with breaking the laws those officers are trying to enforce.

Maybe. Probably. Wrong in my case, though. I don't hate cops. I hate the revenue-collector aspect of the job - go do something useful.

Tell you what: when ALL the killers and rapists and robbers and drug dealers and... etc. you get the point - where you're done catching all of them, then maybe take a vacation before you worry about how fast I'm trying to get home from work.

 

[equus]

I hate lawyers, as a profession. I work with and for lawyers whom I like, as people. And they may (or may not) be good at their jobs. But I hate lawyers - I think they are behind most of what's wrong with America. Seriously.



Ah.



Maybe. Probably. Wrong in my case, though. I don't hate cops. I hate the revenue-collector aspect of the job - go do something useful.

Tell you what: when ALL the killers and rapists and robbers and drug dealers and... etc. you get the point - where you're done catching all of them, then maybe take a vacation before you worry about how fast I'm trying to get home from work.

restored.

maybe im mistaken. i thought you mentioned being a lawyer once. regardless its like any profession where people find jackasses within that said profession. all i was saying. you hear about the worst most often.

and you wouldnt have gotten me writing you a ticket for speed. im no longer an officer but when i was, i only wrote tickets if it was absolutely necessary. i got chewed out for not writing them on more than one occasion.

 

[Archie Goodwin]

and you wouldnt have gotten me writing you a ticket for speed. im no longer an officer but when i was, i only wrote tickets if it was absolutely necessary. i got chewed out for not writing them on more than one occasion.

Fair enough. I respect that.

And please let the record show that I am a paralegal / legal assistant in civil litigation, 17+ years of it.

 

[Archie Goodwin]

I think he's talking about the enforcement of certain laws that are neither here nor there in terms of the greater good of society. Victimless crimes, like 12 mph over the speed limit when you're in a car designed to drive 50 mph over the speed limit. Cell phone tickets being written to people stopped at stop lights that take a look at their phone. Things like that.

It's not about ignoring the laws, it's about following, and enforcing, the spirit of the law. Jaywalking is a law that has a reasonable application and should be enforced in certain places...but there are other places where crossing a street where there isn't an intersection puts neither you nor any driver at any risk. Yet the police sometimes don't delineate between those two circumstances and just write ticket like crazy.

You can't deny that a lot of law enforcement these days is pure revenue generation. Traps being set for normal commuters that are completely minding their own business and driving safely...but breaking the letter of some silly law. Boom, $290 ticket.

Well said.

 

[Byron Carter]

I was almost killed when a woman talking on her cell phone drove her mini-van within an inch of me, probably going 40 MPH, when I was getting something out of the side-compartment of our ambulance unit.

This was in Baltimore, MD.

So yes, now that I live in Florida, even though I'm no longer involved in EMS - I support this law 100%.

If it's being abused, target the people abusing it. The law is needed.

 

[spamking]

Oklahoma has the move over or slow down law . . . which I think most folks did before it was an actual law anyway.

The only real issue I have with anything close to this type of law is when folks traveling on a divided highway slow down/pull off the road when the meet a fire truck, ambulance or police going the opposite direction. No opening in the median to turn and not at an intersection. They still just pull over and stop like they're on a two lane road or something.

Otherwise move over and let them do their job . . .

 

[spamking]

people stopped at stop lights that take a look at their phone.

People that do that and don't pay attention to the light drive me crazy. Put your stupid phone down, pay attention and drive.

 

[45ACP]

I actually see this creating more of a hazard than the one it attempts to prevent.

Since this law was passed here in PA, what happens now is not only does everyone slam on their brakes to slow down because they see a cop on the side of the road believing that unless they're going at least 10 mph under the speed limit they'll get a ticket, but now they all try to jump over into the fast lane while doing so. You can be driving the speed limit or just above, minding your own business and suddenly, without warning have all the cars in the slow lane slam on their brakes at the same time and dive over into your lane taking up every available car length. I've almost rear ended people who have cut me off doing this.

This is another one of those laws that sounds good in theory, but most people are too stupid for it to work well in practice and it just makes things worse for everyone.

 

[jackietreehorn8]

I actually see this creating more of a hazard than the one it attempts to prevent.

Since this law was passed here in PA, what happens now is not only does everyone slam on their brakes to slow down because they see a cop on the side of the road believing that unless they're going at least 10 mph under the speed limit they'll get a ticket, but now they all try to jump over into the fast lane while doing so. You can be driving the speed limit or just above, minding your own business and suddenly, without warning have all the cars in the slow lane slam on their brakes at the same time and dive over into your lane taking up every available car length. I've almost rear ended people who have cut me off doing this.

This is another one of those laws that sounds good in theory, but most people are too stupid for it to work well in practice and it just makes things worse for everyone.

I think I agree with you.

A very well-intentioned law, but as someone was arguing earlier, the last thing you want on highways are jittery drivers, who are going to start freaking out at the sight of flashing lights, fearing a ticket if they don't cut the guy off in the lane next to them. It's a hazzard.

It's also essentially mandated rubbernecking. If you're someone who complains about how one little fender bender can fuck up an entire rush hour because everybody that drives by needs to slow down and take a look, this is making that worse...it's telling everybody they not only have to slow down, but move over and crunch 3 lanes into 2.

People should move over if it's possible and I think a public awareness campaign and an appeal to people's humanity would be good. But when big fines are involved and the police are out setting traps to pinch people not following this law, it may be counterproductive to the safety of the roadways, for both police and the travelling public.

 

[nhbbear]

There is a need for this law, but it needs to be applied in a common sense manner. People should understand that if there is no availability to change lanes, they should not feel obligated to do so at the cost of safety. Simply slow down.

The only time this law should be applied is for people that like to buzz by police officers or other persons pulled over to the side of the road. If there is no traffic, get over. But there are people that like to intentionally do "fly-bys" because they don't think the police are going to leave their current traffic stop to pursue the subject that just buzzed them.

But I have never seen a problem created by people merging into traffic in an unsafe manner, or slamming on brakes-and if that does, it seems to cause less of a problem than regular traffic snarls or construction.

 

[steelers07]

always thought this was just common sense .. I always slow down and/or move away as far as I can from the patrol cars and any other vehicles that are involved

 

[James Keith]

They could just make it against the law to crash into people with your car.

 

[HIMBOB]

I think if people aren't dick heads to start with they don't need to make these laws in the first place.

Americans (well Sherdog) doesn't seem to have much respect for cops I can see laws like this being a result. (pure theory of course).

 

[HIMBOB]

That's ridiculous. Hundreds of emergency and construction workers are injured or killed every year, all needlessly. This law is highly necessary to protect lives, and setting 'traps' is an excellent way to educate and convey the seriousness and importance of the law.

On the bolded, I honestly think if road work signs were only used when road work was actually happening it would save many lives.

It is not at all rare to drive past many "men at work" type signs and not see a single person on site.
I think most people don't mind slowing down to 40 (25mph) when passing guys working on the road. But after slowing down to 40 for many KMs when no one is working means all good will is gone and people will just ignore the signs completely.

 

[ralphc1]

Any time a motorist is forced to take action with little notice it increases the risk of accidents. Do I really need to go data mining for something that is common sense? Do you lack an imagination and critical thinking skills which should easily give you the ammo to construct a few scenarios that would play out with undesirable consequences?

Unless you can't see past your hood, you can usually see something sitting on the side of the road a long way away and have plenty of time to react. It shouldn't be necessary to have a law but some people are stupid. Judging by the number of stalled vehicles that are hit while sitting still on the side of the road, there are way too many idiots on the road.

 

[JuliaB4GSP]

Why do they need an excuse to write more tickets? People speed constantly even in areas where there are constant speed traps because they know if you're only going 5 over they won't yank you. The Move Over laws just codify what decent people already do. If anyone's stopped on the side of the highway you switch lanes unless you absolutely can't.

 

[jackietreehorn8]

On the bolded, I honestly think if road work signs were only used when road work was actually happening it would save many lives.

It is not at all rare to drive past many "men at work" type signs and not see a single person on site.
I think most people don't mind slowing down to 40 (25mph) when passing guys working on the road. But after slowing down to 40 for many KMs when no one is working means all good will is gone and people will just ignore the signs completely.

Those speed limits aren't just for the workers on site, they're for everybody in their cars as well. Often in construction zones there are no shoulders, abrupt lane merges, tight curves, uneven pavement, things like that. So even if workers aren't present it's a more hazardous place to drive than a normal open road, and should have a little bit lower speed limit.

I agree there are zones where 45 is ridiculous though. And in those zones I've noticed nobody follows that limit anyway, and it's not usually enforced.